Meeting Dr. Deepak Chopra For Help With My Crohn's Disease

After my fourth surgery forth surgery from my Crohn's disease, I met Dr. Deepak Chopra and Dr. David Simon at their Chopra Center for Well-Being. That was 19-years ago, and I couldn't figure out why meditation and yoga was so important to these two well know medical doctors. I learned and became a Chopra Center instructor. If you want to really learn something, learn how to teach it.

Transcript

Hello and welcome.

My name is Rick Freeman and today I'd like to talk about my experience of when I first went to the Chopra Center as a patient after my fourth surgery from Crohn's disease.

And all they were teaching me to do,

These two medical doctors,

Was meditation and yoga.

That was the most important part for them.

Then it came about Ayurveda,

Ayurvedic medicine.

And I was wondering why two medical doctors were teaching about Ayurvedic medicine and meditation.

And they got to the point where they went into this fight-flight,

Restful awareness response.

And what happens when we go into this restful awareness?

How our body has time to heal and relax.

When our mind slows down,

When our mind slows down,

We can become aware of that space between our thoughts.

And in that space we can make better choices.

I'd like to do a meditation for helping to deal with any discomfort or pain or any problems you may have in your body right now.

So let's get comfortable and close your eyes and take a nice easy breath in through your nostrils if you can.

Slowly and exhale.

When you exhale get the feeling of relaxing.

Inhaling,

Exhaling,

Letting go.

Inhale.

As you exhale,

Everything's just letting go and relaxing.

Now place your focus on your breathing.

You're going to notice your mind's going to wander and that's okay.

But as soon as you notice your mind's wandering,

Just gently bring your focus back into your breathing.

Now you choose anywhere in your body that needs the most attention right now.

Place your attention in that area and with your attention in that area you may feel like your breath can flow into that area that needs attention.

As you're getting the sensation of breathing in and exhaling to that area,

Get the feeling of releasing and relaxing.

Remember when your mind wanders,

Just make the choice,

The nourishing choice,

Go back to focusing on your breath in the area that needs the most awareness in your body.

Now say to yourself silently,

Say to yourself,

I am strong.

I am healthy.

I am strong.

I am healthy.

Begin to deepen your breath and take your time.

When you're ready,

You can slowly move around and open up your eyes.